


Step-By-Step

by AcceleOrder



Category: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Genre: (totally), (well its asuka after all), Drama, Everyone Is Alive, F/M, First Love, Happy Ending, Tsundere, excluding those that were dead to begin with or deserves to stay dead, innocent first love, whooP
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-18
Updated: 2014-06-18
Packaged: 2018-02-05 01:19:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1800187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcceleOrder/pseuds/AcceleOrder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just because Lilith is gone doesn't mean the Angels will stop attacking Earth, which also means that Shinji, Asuka and Misato still have to live under the same roof. Everything appears to be the same, but some things are changing... and soon...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Step-By-Step

**Author's Note:**

> Follows End of Evangelion, which is still kind of ??? to me, but nonetheless doesn't affect the story much.

Misato was in a chirpy mood tonight; after all, she is returning home at 3AM after a night date with Kaji.

"I'm ho-" she sung as she unlocked the door to her apartment labelled M.Katsuragi, just as a prized possession of hers, a 2000 _yen_ directory, flew across the room, hitting Shinji with a 'oof!' from him as he fell on his back, his forehead already turning red where he was hit. Naturally, the one who hit him was none other than Asuka, who was wrapped in a towel and looked angry at the poor boy as usual.

"Lecher! This is what you get for trying to peep when I'm bathing!"

"I wasn'tpeeping! I just wanted to use the toi -"

"You were standing outside the bathroom!"

" _Of course I was!_ I was waiting for you to get out! Why would I be interested in someone like  _you_?!"

"Heh? "Who would", you say? Yet, who was the one who was masturbating to -"

" _Uwahhhh!!!_ Shut up! Welcome home, Misato-san!"

Three pair of eyes turned to Misato abruptly. Pen-Pen was the first to react and grabbed onto her pants with a frightened look on his face. Misato picked him out and patted him, mumbling reassuring words, then turned to look at the two with a fierce look.

"You two! What do you think you're doing to my apartment?! Look at it! Now, shake hands and clean up!"

"Hmph!" Asuka promptly gave a snort so forceful, it was a surprise her nostrils didn't expand and stay that way. She took a few steps forward, stomped on Shinji's foot so hard he cringed like a baby, and grumbled her way back to her room, slamming the door with her slender toes.

Misato scratched her hair with a soft groan. "So, what's up with you two this time? No, wait, let me guess: Asuka's unhappy that you were the one who took out the Angel today, so she's just looking for excuses to hit you?"

" _Yes!_ " Shinji's reply was a frustrated shout, something he only did when things concerned Asuka. Misato smiled, and stretched. It was a long day at work as usual, after all. "Yosh! I'm hungry. What's for dinner tonight?"

"...Curry rice," Shinji muttered as he went to the kitchen to bring out the bowls for dinner. Pen-Pen was the first to sit next to his feeding bowl labelled ' _Pen x2_ '. Somewhere along the way, he'd already become Shinji's fan when it comes to cooking.

Probably because she simply couldn't refuse food, Asuka came out of her room with a frown fixated on her face, ruining her pretty features. Her deadly aura could be felt by everyone around the table as they sat and ate quietly, the only sounds being Pen-Pen eating and the occasional clanging of utensils.

Shinji could feel a pair of eyes with murderous intent glaring at him even though he was looking at his plate the whole time - no; it was exactly  _because_ of those burning blue eyes that he dared not look up. He took another bite of the spicy-sweet curry he made, and finally looked up to meet Asuka's eyes. He gulped. 

"Umm... Asuka, is there something wrong...?" he knew he was asking the obvious, but Shinji wasn't good at dealing with Asuka. Never was.

"You like me, don't you, Idiot Shinji?"

Shinji choked on the curry, his throat stinging. Misato hurriedly poured a cup of water and shoved it to him, and he gulped it thank gratefully. 

"Hah?!" Shinji's voiced cracked and his face was flushed, either from the lack of oxygen earlier, or because of Asuka's words, or both.

"Just admit it already!" suddenly, Asuka was screaming, her face flushed too, but out of anger.

Misato's chirpy mood from before dissolved. At first, she thought it's just Asuka throwing her usual tantrum, but as she thought, is something... changing?

* * *

Shinji was sulking in his room, repeating the SDAT as he always did when he was upset or trying to escape from something. This time, he was simply pissed off with Asuka.

 _What's up with **her**? She's been in an ultra bad mood today! What's up with her? What's up with her?! _ Unconsciously, he had been pressing the Replay button repeatedly, causing the SDAT to go haywire and eventually quietened down as the battery died. He pulled out his in-ear headphones, and tossed the set far from his futon.

His frown turned into an expression of shock as something - some _one_ , dropped next to him. It was a scene all too familiar. The anger he felt vaporised in an instant. 

"Asuka...?"

"You like me, don't you?" she cut him off with the same question she bombarded him with earlier that night.

"...!" Shinji clenched his teeth. He willed himself not to blush.  _Calm down, calm down, calm down, calm down, calm down!_

His heart rate eventually slowed down, and Shinji finally allowed himself to exhale a breath he couldn't remember why he was holding.

"I don't," he answered forcefully.

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

"...Heh~"

Shinji felt Asuka's back touch his, and he grew warm. 

"It's hot, isn't it?" Asuka's voice was sweet and close.  _Too_ close.  _Thank God, she didn't realise..._

"Yeah, it is."

Silence. Shinji wondered if Asuka was already asleep.

"Um... Asuka?"

"What now?"

"Can you not stick so close to me..."

Shinji heard Asuka sigh and flinched.  _She's going to hit me, she's going to hit me, she's going to..._

Instead, he felt her shift a bit further away from him, completely different from the first and last time it occurred.

"Don't worry. This is the last time this kind of thing will happen."

Even though he should've felt relieved, a certain unease came over Shinji as he heard Asuka sniffle, "Idiot Shinji..."

* * *

"WHAT?" Misato's cry was deafening loud in comparison to the other members, who were deadly stiff.

" _Eva synchronization tests for Units 0-1 and 02 are completed. Awaiting confirmation to eject entry plug._ "

The next sound to be heard was Shinji slamming down on the Eva's remotes.

"Asuka... are you serious...?!"

"What do you mean, you're returning to America...?"

Asuka simply sighed and spoke in her usual high-pitched tone, "Haaah? Are you Japanese seriously that dumb? It means exactly as it is! Since it's confirmed that they won't  _be_ a repeat of the Third Impact, I have no more obligation to be here, ye know? Nothing's here worth it! It's better for me to return to America and pursue my Master Degrees!"

Shinji jumped a bit at her harsh words.  _Nothing's here... worth it? Including Kaji-san? Misato-san? Everyone at school?  Even..._

"H-how about Unit 0-2...?" he hesitantly brought up. Asuka's eyes immediately narrow into slits on the monitor, shooting daggers at Shinji.

"Well, as Commander Ikari says, there's always Toji. He's taking over me. I'm easily replaced." Her last sentence seemed to be aimed directly at Shinji, who was at the moment too overwhelmed to care.

" _Emotions of Eva Unit 0-2's pilot is unstable. Exceeding safe zone. 210%... 220%...._ "

"Force eject all entry plugs!"

" _Roger. Entry plugs safely ejected._ "

Asuka climbed out of her Eva gracefully, flipping her hair. 

"Well, that's that. I'm leaving tomorrow at first ray of light."

* * *

"Kaji-kun! What is the meaning of this?!" Misato gulped down her 52nd cup of beer that night as she snapped at her boyfriend.

"Well..." he was taken aback when  _she_ asked him out. As he should've expected, it was about someone else and not about them. He sighed. "She suddenly called me last night and told me her decision too... Actually, this thought has been going on for weeks, but she always seemed hesitant. Did something happen to make her change her mind out of the blue?"

Misato thought for a bit. Last night...  _Ah, the fight with Shinji-kun...? As I thought, she..._

"A-ny-ways!" Kaji took the beer away from Misato despite her drunk protests. "Can we move on to  _us_ now?"

Then he leaned in to kiss her...

* * *

"Asuka, you ready?" Misato asked not so enthusiastically, partly because she won't be used to missing a noisy somebody in the house, and partly because she was having a hangover. But then again, what made her saddest of all was the fact that she knew this wasn't Asuka's first choice.

Though, naturally, being the (self-proclaimed) matchmaker of those two brats, Misato already had a plan. However... it 99% depended on Shinji, which makes the success rate drop sharply. 

 ** _But!_** As long as the success rate isn't 0%, it's worth a try!

"It's been a short but somewhat fun time, Misato! I'll call you when I reach America." The two share a brief hug. 

"Bye!" just like that, Asuka was gone.

Or was she?

As soon as the door slid shut, Misato barged into Shinji's room, where, as usual, he was curled up on the spare futon, playing his SDAT.

"Shinji-kun!" Misato said in her stern voice as she plugged out his in-ear headphones. "Are you really okay about Asuka leaving?"

"Well, it's her choice..." Shinji's reply was lifeless; Misato knew she had a chance.

"How about  _yours_?"

Shinji seemed to waver for a moment, his mind processing the words  _yours_.

"Me...? What does this have got to do with me...?"

Misato almost smiled. "Don't you know? It's because of you that she's leaving!"

Shinji shot up into sitting position. "Misato-san, I don't understand what you mean..."

_You're averting your eyes, Shinji-kun._

"Oh, but you do, don't you? You've realised your words hurt her... and the fact is that she's staying in Japan because of you... but now that you've completely rejected her... she's leaving!"

"That's not true!" Shinji retorted.

"You know it is," Misato folded her arms, her tall height looming over Shinji. It was like a cat cornering an unarmed mouse.

"Now, are you going to get her back, or will you let her stay in Europe, where kisses are exchanged as greetings, and let her be grabbed by some weird old pervertic man like Kaji-kun...?"

It was only a second. That was all Shinji needed to process this possibility and reject it then fly out of the apartment, closely followed by Misato, because an alarm just went off, stating that an Angel had appeared by the sea... which Asuka was using as a mode of transport!

* * *

"Uwahhh -" Asuka gripped tightly onto the railing as a large wave hit the ship she was on. Passengers were panicking and running about; some fell into the bloody red sea while others locked themselves into their guest rooms.

"Tsk!" she looked at the Angel with distaste. It was shaped like a peacock, with long legs and many feathers forming a colourful tail. Though, in the Angel's case, it was about 50 feet tall with a tail colourful in a sense of live eyes which shot deadly lasers and destroyed everything in sight.

"What bad timing!" was all she managed to say before a laser cut her ship into half, and she sank along with a dozen more passengers.

_Idiot Shinji... Save me!_

At that moment, she felt herself being squeezed and heard a loud splashing sound. She was out of the water almost immediately and when she opened her eyes, there Eva Unit 0-2 was! 

"Idiot Shinji...!" she was close to tears.  _You came!_

The entry plug was ejected for 3 seconds for Asuka to climb in and grab onto the pilot's seat before Shinji begun countering the Angel. It was surprisingly easy; the Angel did not have the A.T Field, and he was able to kill it with a single stab in the core, sending blood flying everything within a kilometre's range.

Shinji was panting, and so was Asuka; yet, she mustered enough strength to chop him on the head.

"Idiot! Why did you save me?!"

_Wrong._

"I didn't ask for your help, you idiot!"

_No! This isn't what I wanted to tell him!_

"You shouldn't have saved me if you hated me that much!!"

_Wrong!!!_

She was pulled into a tight hug. Shinji was squeezing her so tightly, she felt like she was suffocating. His breath was ragged and reeked of the miso soup she failed in making this morning as a farewell gift. There were still band-aids strapped to her fingers.

"Wrong, Asuka..."

Asuka felt jumpy for some reason. She wasn't used to this kind of skinship - not with a boy.

"I  _wanted_ to save you...! More than killing the Angel. More than anything!"

Her heart skipped a beat, and Asuka cursed herself for that.

"So what? It wouldn't have mattered if you didn't. It's not like we'll meet again anyways..."

Shinji's hug tightened more as he dug his face into her hair. "No! Asuka... don't go. ...Please." 

Asuka was very tempted to just give in and kiss the idiot, but she couldn't. Not when things still weren't clear between the two of them. She jabbed him at a certain spot and his grip weakened, allowing her to break free of the hug.

"Why...?"

"Huh?"

"On what basis... Who do you think you are that I should stay just because you said so?"

"Oh. Umm... because... um, because... you like me?" his voice was a tiny squeak. Asuka's face flushed with embarrassment. "W-w-w-what?! Who said that?! More like, isn't it  _you_?! No, wait... you don't..."

Shinji chuckled. It wasn't every day Asuka was baffled like this. He tugged on her arm and gave her a kiss so very light but long, with him holding his breath as he recalled their first experience. When they finally pulled apart, both had fully reddened cheeks.

"I...  _do_ like you, Asuka! Well, I mean... you're really stubborn and a bully and all..." Asuka made a deep growling sound. "...but, despite all that - I think I like you!"

" _Think_?" Asuka leered in Shinji's direction even though his eyes were anywhere but on her.

"Well, um... I didn't like the fact that you were going to leave... I don't like... the fact that you'll probably never come back. And..."

"And?" Asuka was growing impatient. She was already being graceful for not shouting  _You're a man, ain't cha?! So just stop being such a self-depreciating brat! Man up and spit out your damned words already, Idiot Shinji!_ _  
_

"...The kiss just now. It felt good. Can we do it again..."

It was without any hesitation - Asuka's lips mashed with his, and it was an  _adult_ kiss. With little memory of Misato's kiss to him a while back, Shinji was somehow able to grasp what was going on and tussled with Asuka's tongue for a bit before they ran out of breath.

This time, when their eyes met, it was filled with adoration mixed with a bit of hatred for each other, but then again, wasn't that all love's about?

"...And you?" Shinji inquired as he daringly wrapped both arms around Asuka's neck as if to lock her up. "Do you... like me?"

_Uwahhh! Even though you're just Idiot Shinji! Even though you're just Idiot Shinji...~~~!!!_

He was looking down shyly, with occasional peeks at Asuka's face as he awaited her reply. 

"Don't look away!" Asuka snapped and Shinji's eyes instinctively searched for hers. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to say the crucial words which will bring them to the beginning of a relationship.

"I... I... don't hate you..." Asuka deflated as she failed to say the words she had wanted to. Seeing her dejected look, Shinji couldn't help but feel warm inside him and pressed his nose to hers and nuzzled it like his mom used to do to him.

"I did it...! So, you're not leaving for America any more, right...?"

"M-mm..." Asuka averted her eyes from Shinji for the first time.  _This guy... is surprising dangerous in a relationship!_

"Heeeey, you two!" 

Shinji and Asuka jumped at Misato's voice. Her face appeared on the Eva's screen.

"Sorry to disturb your little make out session. It's really great that you've made up and all but, why don't you help clear up the mess you've made?"

It was then that the two looked around them and saw that almost every ship that was here a few minutes ago had capsized, and people were struggling to grab onto safety boats. In Asuka's case, that was pretty low on her priority list then.

"Shi-n-ji-kun♥"

Shinji gulped at Asuka's tone and her smile, inching back until he had nowhere to go in the limited area of the entry plug.

"I-I-I-I-I-I'm sorry...! Ahhhhhh!"

_As I thought, he's better being crybaby, idiotic Idiot Shinji!!!_

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Wow I actually kind of liked how things turned out /o/ Just finished You Can (Not) Redo whilst halfway writing, and I'm really glad I didn't choose to follow the tetralogy plot.


End file.
